Danita Bye | Convoy of Hope – A Beacon of Light in the Darkness of War

Convoy of Hope – A Beacon of Light in the Darkness of War

Posted at h in Spiritual Leadership by Danita 0 Comments

Are you wondering how you can help and be a beacon of light in war-torn Ukraine, and have positive impact on Leadership Development?

I confess that I’m a bit skeptical of many nonprofits. I’ve heard so many horror stories of funds getting diverted to a new home or yacht for the Executive Director. Whenever there is a crisis, fake organizations pop up to take advantage of the compassion of the American people. They steal and divert funds.

So, in my opinion, it’s understandable that many are hesitant to donate.

With that said, I have 100% confidence in Convoy of Hope!

Who are the founders, Hal and Doree Donaldson?

Convoy of Hope, with a driving passion to feed the world, stands out as a shining star. And now, they are a beacon of light for many Ukrainians who are in desperate need.

Hal and Doree Donaldson, the founders of Convoy of Hope, have North Dakotan roots. Doree’s relatives were ranchers in Northwestern North Dakota – right next to our family ranch – so our connection goes back a long time.

A couple of years ago, my husband, Gordon; our daughter, Danae, and I toured their headquarters in Springfield, MO. They have an impressively efficient and well-run operation.

They had been doing great work around the world to address humanitarian crises since 1994. Charity Navigator awarded them the prestigious Four-Star Charity Award.

Hal was one of my supporters who wrote an endorsement for my how-to leadership development book, Millennials Matter. Now it’s my turn to shine a bright light on the important work they do.

If you feel guided to donate to their organization, I can give you my personal assurance that your money will be stewarded with the utmost care and integrity.

Current Convoy of Hope Ukraine Relief Report

Here’s an extract from Convoy of Hope’s daily report on the situation in Ukraine and how they are involved. Of course, the situation changes almost by the hour, but I assure you that relief efforts will continue and be needed for a long time to come…

March 7, 2022 | 12:10 p.m.
Nearly two weeks into the conflict, tensions in Ukraine continue escalating. The bitter cold is only adding to the mounting pressure felt by all Ukrainians, especially those with young children and little to no adequate shelter.
As of Monday, Russia’s military was considering a cease-fire, though residents report that many residential areas continue to be battered with rocket attacks. Two previous negotiations between Russia and Ukrainian leaders proved fruitless.

Already, more than 1.7 million Ukrainians have chosen to cross into bordering countries, mostly into Poland, where Convoy of Hope has set up operations. More refugees are expected in the coming days and weeks. Constant changes to cease-fire agreements and the bombing of residential areas have made fleeing even more dangerous for Ukrainians.

Convoy of Hope’s team members and partners across Europe are busy meeting the most basic needs with food, water, hygiene kits, and more. Convoy has also secured warehouses through existing partnerships across Eastern Europe and is serving refugees in six nearby countries.

Much of Convoy’s distribution is done through local churches and humanitarian organizations on the ground. Churches and community centers are moving out pews and other furniture to replace them with mattresses, blankets, kettles of soup, and anything else that might make the bitterly cold and restless nights a little more bearable.

“It’s scary because the shooting, all of the air raid sirens, psychologically it’s very hard to comprehend,” said Valia, one of the refugees Convoy was able to help. She spoke with Convoy while holding her baby grandson on her lap. “The kids are afraid and they start to scream and cry because they don’t know what’s happening.”
It’s tough for most adults to comprehend how quickly their lives were upended. But those who have been served hot meals received more than food — they received hope in a hopeless situation.

“A lot of volunteers are helping us,” Valia continued. “Volunteers helped us to get to the Ukrainian-Polish border. And from that, we are just glad that we can be here and volunteers are helping us. We can stay here, and it’s peaceful and quiet. We just want the war to stop. We want peace to live quiet lives,” she said.

Convoy of Hope is bringing life-sustaining resources because of your generosity. It is making a difference in the countless lives of refugees. Convoy could not do it without you and is committed to providing relief to refugees as the difficulty continues.